As the number of patients suffering from diabetes and similar medical conditions increases, self-monitoring of blood glucose wherein the patient monitors his or her blood glucose levels has become a common practice. The purpose of monitoring the blood glucose level is to determine the concentration level and then to take corrective action, based upon whether the level is too high or too low, to bring the level back within a normal range. The failure to take corrective action can have serious medical implications. Glucose monitoring is a fact of everyday life for diabetic individuals. Failure to test blood glucose levels properly and on a regular basis can result in serious diabetes-related complications, including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, nerve damage and blindness.
People with diabetes who intensively manage their blood sugar experience long-lasting benefits. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) was a clinical study conducted from 1983 to 1993 by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The DCCT compared intensive to conventional treatments. Patients on intensive treatment kept glucose levels as close to normal as possible with at least three insulin injections a day or an insulin pump, and frequent self-monitoring of blood glucose. Intensive treatment aimed to keep hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), which reflects average blood glucose over a 2- to 3-month period, as close to normal as possible. Conventional treatment consisted of one or two insulin injections a day with once-a-day urine or blood glucose testing. The results of the DCCT study showed that keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible slows the onset and progression of eye, kidney, and nerve diseases caused by diabetes. In fact, it demonstrated that any sustained lowering of blood glucose helps, even if the person has a history of poor control.
A number of glucose meters are currently available that permit an individual to test the glucose level in a small sample of blood. Many of the meter designs currently available make use of a disposable test strip which in combination with the meter measures the amount of glucose in the blood sample electrochemically. In current glucose meters, the information displayed as a consequence of a successful blood glucose measurement is the respective blood glucose value and perhaps the time and date the measurement was performed. This information in combination with calculation of planned intake of carbohydrates or planned activities and knowledge of other situational or individual factors is in most cases sufficient to allow insulin dependent diabetics to adjust or derive the immediate dose of insulin to inject to control blood glucose level on the short-term.
Individuals can better manage insulin levels when a blood glucose measurement is considered in context with of other information relating to the activities of the individual. For example, individuals with diabetes may be asked to follow specific testing regimens, such as testing at specific times of day and before and after meals, in order to place a series of blood glucose measurements in context with various metabolic states or events for that individual. It is important for a person with diabetes to be aware of his or her blood glucose measurement one or two hours after a meal and compare it with a blood glucose measurement taken before a meal or compare it to a morning fasting blood glucose measurement to understand how a specific meal impacts blood glucose level. With this contextual information from prior blood glucose measurements, the individual can, for example, change the dosage of insulin, change the time of taking an insulin dose before a meal, or change the content of a meal, in order to maintain the post-meal blood glucose level within or below a recommended threshold. Other situations comparing one or more blood glucose measurements in context with one or more other blood glucose measurements and/or lifestyle events, such as exercise, sleep, fasting, snacking, meals, and insulin intake, for example, can assist the individual in better managing insulin levels.
Given the ramifications of accurate recording and reporting of blood glucose measurements, improvements in the apparatus and/or procedures to manage blood glucose are desired.